When we saw the little game trail meandering off the side of the road and into the pines, we just knew there was something to it.

We pulled to the side of the road and jumped out, stepping into the woods to a place we had never been. After only a short jaunt, the trees opened up into this:

With not another human being in sight, we played in the waters and ate cherries on the shore.

The only signs that others had ever been here was an old campsite, abandoned long ago.

After hiking around the lake, we continued on, venturing further into the mountains and up a small hill. The trees soon fell away and revealed the Winds’ hidden secrets: views like this one, only footsteps off of the road. Views that so few people take the time to find.

You never know what you will see when you step off the road in the Wind River Mountains.